A Few For The Road
by jo7787
Summary: A short, one-shot series! Ava and Charon gather their respective armies and travel across the Wasteland towards New Vegas. It won't be an easy trip, that much is clear.
1. Labor Pains

**All right guys, this will be a short, one-shot series and then there will be one more story in the series. As you all may know, I do not own Fallout or any of its characters**. **I will take claim on Ava though. Enjoy!**

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Charon sat quietly at the head of the long table during the meeting inside of the Outcast Outpost. Lord Ashur had arrived a few hours ago and he and Desmond were speaking loudly about the trip towards New Vegas. MacCready sat beside his adoptive father, his feet propped up on the table and a baseball cap over his face, utterly bored with the whole ordeal. The Brotherhood of Steel on the East Coast had been completely obliterated, and the meeting was to decide whether or not it was safe to go ahead and pick through the ruins of the Citadel for anything they could salvage. Charon thought the choice was obvious; that crater should be torn apart for anything useful, but they had these meetings all the same. The meetings helped with morale and made everyone feel like they had a say in any matter that came up. Ava was late...it was most unlike her. She seemed well enough when they both woke up at their new home inside of the Purifier. She even made all the children breakfast before they drove over to the Outpost. Perhaps she went out for a walk like Doctor Barrows had suggested, saying it would be good for her to stay in shape in the later months of the pregnancy. Gob was late as well, and he was never late for the meetings. Maybe he was outside smoking with Nova. Charon decided to go ahead with the meeting anyway; he would fill Ava and Gob in when they decided to show up. Roy, Quinn, and some of the other ghouls had sat in as well, along with Rococo, Ann Marie, and Krenshaw, Lord Ashur's right hand man.

"All right, let's start the meeting. Ava and Gobtholemew will both turn up soon and I don't think they'll mind if we begin without them," Charon began.

"You sure she won't flip her shit? Those hormones of hers, fucking hell. She almost ripped my fucking balls off when I asked her if she wanted some god damn tea yesterday," said Desmond. The soldiers all laughed at Desmond's expense, and even he chuckled to himself. No one really blamed Ava for her behavior.

"I have been dealing with it for months, more often than any of you. We'll be fine...as long as we keep the assault rifles out of her hands," Charon said with a smirk. He loved his Smoothskin with all his heart and was willing to put up with whatever she threw at him. She had given purpose, given him a new life, and was about to give him children as well. He could not wait to see them and hold them both in his arms for the first time.

The door to the meeting room opened with a bang and Gob leaned against the door frame, clutching his chest. His shirt was torn and a very distinct, bruising hand print stood out on his scarred face. Charon stood up, knocking his chair to the ground, silencing the chatter around him in an instant.

"Gob! What's happened?" Charon shouted. He had not seen his wife since they arrived at the Outpost and the urge to find her was overwhelming. MacCready lifted his cap from his eyes and thumbed the blade of his knife nervously.

"They're...they're coming!" Gob mumbled, out of breath. Ashur stood up as well and wondered if the West Coast Brotherhood of Steel had come for them at last. Months had passed; certainly enough time for them to find out about it and come pay them all a visit.

Desmond stood up and shook Gob by the shoulders, asking the question everyone was too fearful to ask. "Who's bloody coming? Spit it out!"

Gob looked at Charon and a ridiculous smile erupted from his face. "The babies."

Charon froze. Everyone in the room looked over at the massive ghoul and still, he could not move. He turned his head slowly towards Ashur and asked, "What should I do?"

Ashur smiled kindly and said, "Go to her. She'll need you. I couldn't be by my wife's side and I regret it. Don't be nervous, because everything will be fine."

Charon nodded his head and Gob pulled him to his feet. Horrible thoughts rushed through his head instead of pleasant ones. Things could go horribly wrong. Ava could die. The babies could die. The babies could be sickly, and if they were, he could only blame himself. He was the one who was physically fucked up, not Ava.

"But...but it's too early. It's only been seven months," Charon said quietly.

"I asked Barrows the same thing, Charon, and he said it's normal for twins to come early. Come on, hurry up! You don't want to miss this," said Gob. Charon followed Gob out of the room and all of the soldiers who attended the meeting followed Gob as well.

"Why is everyone else coming?" asked Charon.

"This is a big deal, you and Ava having the kids...are you all right? You look like you might throw up or something," said Gob, hiding a smirk. Charon, the only person who knew who could stare death in the face and not turn away, seemed lost and was losing the color in his face.

"Fuck, bring me a bucket just in case. I feel faint to be honest," said Charon. MacCready rushed up to Charon and tugged on his father's arm. The ghoul looked down at the young man and snatched the cap off MacCready's head. "Excited, R.J.?"

"Hell yeah but...I don't have to go in there, do I? I think would be more of Mom than I ever wanted to see," said MacCready.

"No, I wouldn't do that to you, son. I do need you to go to the other Lamplighters and tell them the news, though," said Charon, handing the cap back.

"Gotcha Pops. I'll be back in a bit," said MacCready. He hugged Charon and took off down the hallway.

Charon heard Ava screaming every single swear word in the book from the hallway, including some that he was pretty sure she made up, and quickened his pace. Gob opened the door and Charon pushed his way just past the metal door, afraid of what he would find.

"YOU!" Ava screamed, pointing at her ghoul. Her dark hair matted to her forehead and a white sheet bunched up around her knees. The black t-shirt she wore was drenched with her sweat and her fingers were twisting a rag in her hands. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FUCKING FAULT!"

"My fault? How is this my fault?" Charon asked, bewildered. Ava, in all her flushed beauty, had never looked more livid than she did at that moment. The last thing Charon wanted to do was go near his now insane wife. Nova, who was standing beside Ava's bed, took a step back from her girl, afraid of her wrath for a moment.

"Shut the fuck up! I'm pushing two fucking children through a tiny orifice in my fucking body!" Ava bellowed. "If I had it my way, asshole, YOU would be the one pushing these kids out! NOT ME! I HATE YOU!"

Barrows held back a laugh as Nova tried to wipe Ava's brow with a cool, wet towel. Ava swatted her away and held her lower stomach with a painful look. The pain was intense, and she wished that she could have some sort of medication, but Doctor Barrows was against it. He was unsure how the birth would go, how the infants would come out, he was unsure of everything at that moment. He had helped many women give birth over the decades, but none of the women were ever pregnant with children that were conceived with a ghoul.

"Charon!" Ava yelled. "Get the fuck over here!"

The ghoul walked over to the bed and Ava's hand nearly crushed his. Her strength at the moment was incredible. He was pretty sure she could punch a Deathclaw in the face and kill it right then. She was definitely pissed off enough to march up to one of those beasts.

"Please don't make me look," Charon pleaded with his wife. The thought of watching childbirth sickened him to the very core.

"You don't have to, just try to calm her down," said Doctor Barrows, answering for Ava.

Ava started to cry as the pain became more intense. "I'd rather be shot by a mini gun right now," she whispered. Charon wiped her face free of the tears with his hand and managed a smile for her.

"Don't say that, Smoothskin. We've both been shot. Do you really think that would be the better option right now? And we both know what would happen...it would be the third time I take bullets for you," Charon said, trying to lighten the mood. He wanted her to laugh, because maybe that would distract her long enough to forget that she wanted to clock him in the face for getting her pregnant in the first place.

"Bad things come in threes, right?" Ava asked. "Oh FUCK, this hurts so bad. Somebody just fucking kill me!"

"It's all right. Things are going along quickly, I promise. This will all be over soon. The first baby is coming in a few minutes," said Barrows in a gentle voice. "You'll both be parents soon enough."

"Is there anything you wanted to do before we have these kids?" Ava asked Charon.

He laughed quietly and said, "It's a little late for any adventures, don't you think?"

"I'm sorry I yelled at you...I didn't think it would hurt so bad, and you know I don't hate you," she whispered. "I love you and there's no one better for me than you."

"It's all right Smoothskin. You can say whatever you wish; I can take it," Charon replied.

"Get ready to push hard," Barrows announced. Charon felt light headed and Gob, who had been standing at the doorway, pushed a chair behind him without a word.

"Need that bucket?" Gob asked. Charon shook his head and rested it on the pillow beside Ava's. Her face scrunched up in pain as she pushed a few times before Barrows told her to rest.

"I can see the head, just a few more pushes and we'll have one baby out. The second will follow quickly," said Doctor Barrows. Nurse Graves handed him a few more clean towels and he wiped away any fluid, trying to keep the whole area as clean as possible. Charon's eye fell to the rags that Barrows held and he held a scarred hand over his mouth.

"I love you, Ava, but can I say something?" Charon asked. Ava and Doctor Barrows both looked up at Charon and he continued without waiting for Ava to answer him. "I'm almost positive that I'm either going to vomit or pass out. My body cannot decide at the moment."

"Just make sure it's not on me or the babies," Ava laughed and pushed once again with a gasp. The room was silent. Gob held Nova in his arms and smiled at the sight. There was a cry and Doctor Barrows held a small infant up in the air. Charon gulped, hoping the child was okay.

"This one's the boy!" Barrows announced. He cleaned up the baby with a rag and wrapped him tightly before handing him to Charon. Ava sobbed as Charon peered down at the small creature he held in his hands.

"He's so small," Charon whispered. Ava lifted her head and smiled. Her son was perfect, with a tuft of red hair on his head. "He's so beautiful."

"Name, Protector Flint?" asked Nurse Graves. She held a fountain pen over the clipboard in her hands, waiting for Ava's answer.

"Phillip," Ava said, "to honor McGraw."

"His hair is red...like mine. I can't fucking believe it. Phillip is my son. Gob, are you looking at him? He looks like me! I see my face when I look at him!" Charon said incredulously.

"Because he's yours," said Gob with a grin. "Damn good lookin' kid, Battlemaster."

Desmond peeked into the room, holding up a baseball glove. "Is everything all right? I brought a mitt just in case."

Ava reached over to the table beside her and threw a bedpan at Desmond's head with all her strength. "You motherfucker! I hate you the most!"

"Yes, yes, I adore you too but you married Charon and now it's too late for us. I don't screw women with kids," said Desmond with a laugh. Ava growled deeply and pushed with all her might. When she was done, she was determined to strangle Desmond to death with the bed sheets.

Desmond stood beside Charon and peered at the bundle in his hands. Phillip no longer cried and Charon held him close. He was overcome with emotion. Even after two hundred years, he could create a new life.

"Des, I would like to ask you something," said Charon. The old ghoul nodded and he continued. "Ava and I want you to be their godfather. Nova and Gob have already agreed to take on the other children if something happens. Will you do it?"

"I'm not the fatherly type," said Desmond, stepping away. "I mean, your other brats torment me enough with their 'Uncle Desmond' chatter, so I might not do so well."

"But you...stopped Gallows from killing them, and you stopped Rothchild from killing me. I know you care," said Ava. Barrows told her to push again and she winced.

"I will do my best then. I hope you don't mind me molding them into silent killers like yourselves if it comes down to it," Desmond said. "Or even pushing them towards a political life."

"As long as they are safe, happy and healthy, I don't care how you raise them," said Charon.

Barrows held up the second baby and it cried loudly. "A girl," he announced. "What will you name her?"

"Catherine," said Charon. "After Ava's mother."

Barrows placed the baby on Ava's chest and she held her head up with a grin. "Hey Kitty, I'm your mom. That big guy holding your brother over there is your dad. The pretty later with the crazy hair is your Aunt Nova, and that's your Uncle Gob over there with her. The asshole with the mustache here is your godfather. Call him Uncle Des, he hates that shit. Welcome to the Capital Wasteland. It's not very pretty, but we're workin' on it."

Charon frowned and said, "I hope they aren't frightened of me when they're older. Or ashamed."

"They won't even notice," said Barrows and Nurse Graves nodded in agreement. "They'll be surrounded by ghouls and everything in between. It will be normal to them."

"Yeah, and I doubt they'll be ashamed," said Gob. "Not after what you two have done since you've paired up."

There was a knock on the door and Nova looked outside. "It's the kids," she said, looking back at Ava and Charon. "They want to know if they can come see the babies."

"Of course," said Charon. The children funneled into the room and gawked at the baby in their father's arms. MacCready sat on the bed beside Ava and ruffled her hair. He peered down at Kitty and smiled widely. Princess sat beside MacCready and held his hand with a smile.

Ava glared at the pair and snarled, "Don't you two get any fucking ideas, you hear me?" Ava chuckled and said to Charon, "Hey-"

"Yes, I saw what you did there, Smoothskin. Clever," said the ghoul, laughing. He looked at MacCready and Princess and grunted at their intertwined hands. "I agree with her though. Don't be stupid, all right?"

MacCready nodded his head and then stood up to look at Phillip more closely. The baby was smaller than his own forearm, and he had forgotten how small babies could be. He couldn't even remember the last time that there was a baby this small at Little Lamplight.

"She's gonna be pretty like you, mom," said Princess with a rare smile of her own. Ava bundled Catherine close to her and kissed her forehead tenderly. Life was good; no doubt about that.

"Now you all get to help take care of them and show them how to do different things when they get older," Ava explained.

"Like hack computers!" said Joseph.

"And gut raiders!" said Knick Knack.

Charon chuckled at their enthusiasm. "It will be a long time before they can do all that. They have to walk first."

"You two make beautiful kids," Nova said tenderly. She kissed Ava's cheek and smoothed the dark hair on Catherine's head.

"Thank you. I guess we'll have to be more careful in the future then, eh Charon?" Ava asked.

"The hell we will! If we are blessed with more, so be it," he said.

Ava leaned back, holding Catherine securely in her arms. She looked over at Charon and smiled to herself. For a man who has been through so many horrible things in his life, he truly has come full circle. He spoke with people. He held his head up high. He had pride in himself and his family. She was glad that she could be a part of the change she saw in him. She never wanted him to be any different. The ghoul that made the world cower before him was perfect in her eyes. He carried himself well and to Ava, he was the most gorgeous man to ever walk the Capital Wasteland. His cold demeanor, his awkward behavior with new things, that is what she loved about Charon. The ghoul could flip a switch and be the most kind and gentle being she had ever met, or he could kill without batting an eye if the threat was against his family. Gob, Charon, and Desmond chatted about the new additions to the family and Ava wished her father was here to see this. She wondered if he would be standing there, with a hand on Charon's shoulder, chatting along with the rest of the men. The thought made her tear up a bit, but she was happier than she had ever been.


	2. The Obelisk Of Dunwich

**Sorry it took so long to update. Dead Money has taken up most of my time. I think it's one of my favorite DLCs ever to come out for Fallout, so if you haven't bought it yet, use some of your Christmas money and get it! **

**I wrote this one-shot because someone asked for a story with Dunwich and the kids, so here you go! Enjoy! (BTW, the next one-shot is smut. Prepare yourselves!)  
**

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Charon leaned over the table that was littered with gun parts and smiled to himself when he heard Kitty's happy coos by his feet. He glanced down and saw that she was sitting up, hugging a large red ball that Desmond had nudged to her with his foot. The old ghoul sat on a couch, reading through an old issue of Guns and Bullets. Charon reached down and ruffled her bright red hair with a grin plastered on his face. Kitty looked up and her father and smiled, giggling to herself. Phillip was crawling towards Desmond but sat down before he reached his god father and let out a loud wail. Both ghouls immediately looked up, startled by Phillip's cry and Desmond growled before returning to his article. The old ghoul thought he'd be able to get some peace and quiet while they were at Tenpenny Tower before their departure to the West Coast, but it was not the case at all. Not today at least, and their final hours in the East Coast were quickly coming to a close.

"AVA!" Charon bellowed. He saw Phillip tugging on his pants just about a minute ago and knew what was coming.

Ava rushed down the steps and seeing her son in tears, scooped him into his arms. She frowned; she hated seeing them cry at all, and it tugged at her thin heartstrings to hear it.

"What's wrong with Phillip? Were you even watching him? I'm trying to pack!" said Ava as she glared at Charon.

"I think he just messed himself is all. He was hiding by the couch a second ago. You he does that whenever he has to go," said Charon. He continued cleaning his combat shotgun and reached for a brush by the box of shells.

"You could have changed him, you know!" said Ava as she rocked Phillip to soothe his cries. Charon was unusually good with the babies since they were born, but there were times when he was completely consumed by his work that he didn't notice that the little things like this were taking their toll on Ava's mind and body.

Charon held up his hands, now full of black dust and grease and gave his wife a smirk that softened her anger a bit. "Hands are dirty. Besides, I don't touch shit. You and I have already had this discussion."

Kitty rolled the ball back towards Desmond and he returned it to her with another gentle kick without even looking up from his magazine. Ava's hand was at her hip and Charon ducked down, cleaning a new piece of his shotgun a little rougher than he usually would have. Ava had become very motherly lately and worried about the babies at any given moment.

"And you're not exactly playing with Kitty, Des!" Ava shouted, yanking the magazine out of Desmond's hands. "You two said you would watch them so I could pack for the trip. You know, the one where we'll all be gone from here for at the very least a year and a half?"

"I am too playing! Did you not see me just now?" said Desmond, glancing up at Ava from behind his spectacles as he ripped the magazine from her grip.

"Kitty wants to play with you! Look at her!" said Ava. Kitty lifted her head and clapped her hands happily at the sound of her name. Ava smiled down at her daughter, but her mouth quickly formed a dark scowl when her glance returned to Desmond.

Desmond threw the magazine with a huff on the couch and grabbed an old teddy bear off the shelf beside him, crawling onto the floor and sitting beside Kitty.

He shook the bear in front of Kitty's face, eliciting an excited giggle from the small child and he said, "All right, look. I'm playing with the damn child, are you happy, you crazy fuckin' bird?"

Ava stepped forward, kicked the bear from his hands and shouted, "Stop that! You're going to give her a fucking seizure or some shit!"

"That's not going to give Catherine a seizure, Smoothskin," said Charon over his gun.

"Shut up!" Ava snapped.

"Shutting up now," replied Charon as he held back his laughter.

"Maybe when I come back with Phillip, you'll be playing with Kitty like a normal human being," said Ava as she walked towards the bathrooms outside of their old suite.

"I'm a ghoul, not a human," muttered Desmond.

Ava slapped the back of Desmond's head with a free hand and bumped into Charon's table on purpose, knocking some pieces to the ground. Charon growled and Ava snorted with laughter, closing the door behind her. Kitty grabbed the barrel of the shotgun and lifted it to the corner of her mouth.

"God damn it, don't eat that, it's dirty!" Charon said, snatching the dirty piece before Kitty could mouth on it.

Tears welled up in Kitty's green eyes and before she could cry, Desmond shoved the teddy bear towards her. She giggled once more, tears forgotten, began to mouth on the bear's arm instead. Desmond shook his head and leaned back for the magazine again.

"Ava's been a right foul bitch even since these kids came along," said Desmond.

"She is a new mother. I'd expect nothing less from her, really. Imagine if a raider or even a deathclaw came within half a mile of the children. She'd run over and tear their heads off with her bare hands before any of us could bat an eye, much less lift a gun to our shoulders," said Charon.

The ghouls laughed loudly and could not stop, even when Ava walked back into the suite with Phillip cooing softly to himself. Ava placed her son on the floor and watched him crawl towards Kitty, who was now repeatedly slamming the stuffed bear against the floor.

"Charon, have you seen my Gauss rifle by the way? I can't find the damn thing!" said Ava.

"I have not, but I could have packed it away already and not remembered. You always have the Victory rifle, so you should be all right," he answered.

Charon wiped his hands clean with a wet towel, finished with his shotgun, and carefully took the bear from his daughter's tiny hands.

"Here, Kitty. Like this," Charon said softly. He strangled the bear in his hands and shook it with a furrowed brow. The ghoul handed his daughter her bear back and in a perfect imitation of her father, scrunched up her chub-filled cheeks and wrapped her plump hands around the bear's neck.

Charon chuckled and Ava frowned before saying, "Don't teach her that!"

"Just like her father, a true killer in the making," said Desmond. He barked out a laugh and it was cut short when Phillip held the large red ball in his hands and threw it at Desmond's head, knocking the glasses from his face. Charon and Ava roared with laughter as their two children clapped happily.

"Phillip's aim is better than yours, Charon!" Ava teased.

"Hmm...you mean better than _yours_," he growled to his wife.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that," she replied. "Since I'm almost done with my packing, we should get everyone ready to go within an hour or two."

"We were waiting on you," said Charon. "Everyone else is pretty much ready. I have no idea what the fuck you're packing that is taking you so long."

"Oh really? Everyone is ready?" Ava questioned.

Both ghouls nodded and she added, "Even MacCready and the other kids?"

Ava knew about the kid's certain habit of dicking around instead of packing for trips. She had known them all for far too long. For the most part, Ava could tell what her kids were going to do or say before they even thought of it themselves.

"Shit...have you seen MacCready and the others lately?" Charon asked Desmond in a low voice.

"I have not..." Desmond whispered.

There was a knock on the door and Joseph came barging in without an answer, out of breath. "Pops! MacCready...some of the others...Dunwich!"

Ava gulped, remembering that particular building in her younger days, before she met Charon. She remembered walking into the lobby of the decrepit place and almost being mauled by several ghoul Reavers. She barely got away from the building and had not returned since.

"Why the fuck would they go there? It is forbidden!" Charon bellowed, standing up from his chair with anger.

"I-I went too, Pops...and we made it a bit past the lobby...it was a dare, but then a whole mess of feral ghouls, Reavers, Glowing Ones and all showed up. I was at the back of the group...MacCready told me to run and get help!" Joseph explained, his voice shaking.

"Charon!" Ava screamed in fright. "Bring them back!"

"Come on, old man, let's go before they're all killed!" Charon shouted, pulling Desmond to his feet.

Charon left Ava to deal with Joseph, and didn't even have time for a proper farewell. Too much time may have already passed, and thoughts of his adopted children being torn to pieces flooded his mind in all their gruesome glory. The two ghouls tore out of the room and caught Gob's attention at the elevator.

"What the hell happened?" Gob asked, reaching for his side-arm.

"Some of the bloody children are at that wretched Dunwich place," said Desmond. "We are going right now."

"I'll come too. The more guns, the better. Roy is downstairs too, he might be able to calm the ghouls down before they get to the kids," suggested Gob.

"Joseph said the ghouls already attacked the group," said Charon as they filled the elevator.

"Oh shit," mumbled Gob.

Charon didn't even allow the elevator doors to open once they reached the first floor of Tenpenny; he wrenched them open with a roar and ran outside, his heart beating out of control. Roy stood at the gates, overseeing the entire fleet of old army trucks being inspected by Winthrop and Tulip. He did not even ask why Charon, Desmond, and Gob ran off, and immediately joined them.

"Kids are at Dunwich!" Charon barked.

"I told them not to go there!" Roy snarled as he held his Chinese assault rifle.

Dunwich was only about half an hour away from Tenpenny Tower, but the ghouls made it in less than ten minutes. Charon counted every second that passed in his head, and hoped the children were at least able to barricade themselves into a room. He had taught them all much about defending themselves, but Reavers were relentless...they were a million times more dangerous compared to super mutants, the Enclave, and even the Brotherhood of Steel soldiers. Only Deathclaws and Yao Guai could compare in ferocity.

Charon ripped open the front doors to Dunwich and roared into the darkness. "KIDS! ANSWER ME!"

All he could hear was silence and it made him unbelievably ill to hear it. The ghouls looked every where they could, and found only a few, still steaming hot microfusion cell casings. One of the children had Ava's Gauss rifle, that much was clear.

Peering into the room on their left, a green haze flickered and Charon saw the room as it was over two hundred years ago. Computers were blinking with slow white lights and a scientist wearing a lab coat stood near them, holding a clipboard and tapping a pencil against his head. The green haze faded almost as quickly as it appeared and a Glowing One stood in the scientist's place. The ghoul grunted and both Roy and Desmond lifted their guns and blasted it to hell.

"Did anyone else see that?" Charon asked with uncertainty. His three companions slowly nodded their heads in agreement.

"This place is fucked up. Something is wrong...I don't want to be here," said Gob, clutching his Chinese assault rifle closer to his body.

The four ghouls leapt down to another floor of the building, and were almost engulfed by darkness. Charon uttered for light and Desmond turned on a flashlight that he had grabbed off the front desk before they came to Dunwich. It pierced the darkness, and Charon found more spent casings littering the tile floor in front of another door.

"We're going the right way," said Roy as the group navigated the twisting halls and piles of concrete and rubble, stepping over a few dead Reavers. "I'm going to whoop the tar out of them when we find them. They'll have to stand in line and watch. I'm too pissed to even be impressed that they killed this many Reavers."

"Same goes for you," growled Charon, "because I might beat the crap out of all of them first."

Charon had never once laid a hand on any of the children, but he was so completely livid that they did something so foolish, he actually thought about it. Within seconds, the thought left his mind when he heard one of the children's frightened screams. Punishing them didn't matter anymore, he just wanted to save them.

"Come on! I can hear them!" Charon bellowed.

They entered a large room that had caved in all the way to the basement and the ghouls jumped down to pieces of concrete strong enough to handle their weight until they all reached the bottom.

"I can smell those filthy bastards," said Desmond.

Charon and his men rushed down the utility stairs and there was another scream, beyond a metal door. Charon ripped the flashlight from Desmond's hands and tossed it behind them, giving them the cover of darkness. They silently inched down a set of metal stairs into a rock cavern, deep underneath the building.

"Something doesn't feel right, Battlemaster...it's way too cold and...something else is off too...can't put my fuckin' finger on it," whispered Roy.

"I feel it too. It feels wrong to be down here," added Gob.

"Silence!" Charon whispered harshly. He heard some of the children whimpering and then a few garbled words.

Near the bottom of the steps sat all the children, hugging each other in fear. MacCready was being held by his throat against a massive, black obelisk in the center of the cavern, pinned by the only feral ghoul wearing any clothing. He was surrounded by a large group of Reavers and Glowing Ones, all standing patiently by this particular ghoul's side. Charon stooped down and fished around for something to small enough that it would not attract too much attention and found a small rock. He tossed it into the group, hitting Princess in the back of the head and she jumped in fright. The Reavers perked up, but the ghoul holding MacCready against the obelisk snarled, garnering their attention once more. Princess turned her head and smiled with relief when she saw the faint outlines of her adopted father and her three "uncles."

Charon crept towards the group and whispered, "Who is that?"

"His name is Jamie," said Princess. "We found some holotapes...he was looking for his father or something...said this place was evil. He wasn't always feral."

"He is not completely gone, it seems," muttered Charon.

"The Reavers and all of them worship that big stone...Jamie said he's going to sacrifice R.J.," she said.

"I am here now. Go, all of you, go with Uncle Roy and Uncle Desmond...slowly...Uncle Gob and I will take of Jamie," he instructed.

Princess nodded and tugged on a few of the other children's shirts. Roy and Desmond beckoned them closer and one by one, the children climbed up the steps back to the basement. Charon's eye fell to Ava's Gauss rifle, which was lying at the foot of the stairs. He carefully picked it up and discovered that it was completely empty of cells...he had only grabbed a handful of bullets in his haste to leave the Tower.

Scowling, he looked back at Gob, pointed to the clip on Gob's Chinese assault rifle and cocked his head, asking a silent question. Gob patted the clip and gave Charon a thumb's up, and then motioned to his pockets and held up 2 fingers. The clip was full and he had two extra...that was a start. Charon pointed to the drum of his combat shotgun and showed Gob that it was all he had. Charon then held up Ava's Gauss rifle and shook his head, indicating that it had no ammo. He then pointed to himself and gestured to Jamie. He would attack him first. Pointing to Gob, Charon made a sweeping motion with his hand, asking for cover fire. Gob nodded and Charon held up five fingers, slowly counting down until the plan went into action. Three...two...one...

Charon stood up and kept to the shadows. A strange glow was emitting from the obelisk itself, and the closer he got to it, the more uneasy he felt. He felt...anger...rage...hatred...it made no sense. Holding the barrel of the Gauss rifle in his gloved hands, Charon reared back and stepped out of the darkness, taking a mighty swing at Jamie's head. The rifle collided with Jamie's soft skull and shattered it open with a crack almost as loud as lighting itself. MacCready was dropped to the floor and gasped for breath.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE ROBERT!" Charon roared.

MacCready weakly scrambled away from the obelisk and ducked as Charon swung the rifle over his head, killing one of the Reavers. Gob stood up and emptied one clip into a small group of Glowing Ones, killing them before they could emit their radiation and harm Charon or MacCready. A Reaver lunged for MacCready and Charon swung the rifle for a third time, nailing it against the obelisk and snapping the Gauss rifle into three separate pieces. Charon reached for his shotgun as he was thrown against the obelisk as well, before blowing the head off a Reaver. Another two clawed at Charon's body and tore deep gashes into his neck, chest, and arms. The great ghoul snatched the closest Reaver by the throat and threw him against the cavern wall with incredible force, breaking its spine. He shoved the barrel of his shotgun into the second Reaver's mouth and pulled the trigger. Gob continued with his bloodshed, and in the midst of changing the empty clip for his final one, was attacked by the final Reaver. MacCready jumped at the Reaver's legs and toppled him to the floor. He screamed in pain when the Reaver's sharp nails cut into the skin of his cheek and turned his head to the side just before the Reaver slammed his fist into the ground. Both Charon and Gob tore the Reaver off MacCready's body and Gob held the beast tightly in his arms as Charon dug his hand into the Reaver's throat, ripping it out with a thunderous roar.

Gob dropped the dead body to the cavern floor and wiped his brow free of sweat. Charon was hunched over, resting his hands on his knees and out of breath. He coughed loudly, spat out a mouthful of blood and wearily stood up to face his son.

"I...we...need to get away from the...obelisk...bad thoughts," Charon mumbled.

Gob and MacCready both nodded and Charon gathered the ruined Gauss rifle in his arms. The pair led him to the staircase and the further away from the obelisk, the better Charon felt. He didn't know what the hell that thing was, but it was evil. If he had the time, he would demolish the entire area to the ground until it was nothing but dust. There was a trip to be made, however, and destroying Dunwich would have to wait until they all returned.

Outside, the sun nearly blinded Charon, Gob, and MacCready after being inside the darkness of Dunwich for so long. Charon took the time to look over each of his children before nodding towards Tenpenny Tower.

"Pops...I'm sorry," said MacCready in a low voice as they all slowly walked back home.

"I am just glad you're all safe. I don't even have room in my head to be mad right now," Charon answered. "There is only relief. Relief getting all of you back safely, and relief getting the fuck away from that place."

MacCready smiled and Charon glared at him. "Do not think you will be getting off that easily...your mother is furious."

"Fuck," groaned MacCready, pulling his baseball cap over his face. "I'm so fucked!"

"You and I both...your mother's favorite gun is ruined beyond repair," Charon grunted.

The group arrived at the tower and saw that everyone was ready for a departure. Truck engines rumbled and the several vertibirds the army had managed to salvage from the Pitt were ready for take-off. Ava jumped off MacCready's motorcycle and ran to Charon, jumping into his arms and covering his face with heated affection.

"We were just about to leave for you! Oh my god, look at you! At least the kids are alive! Fuck, but you're covered in wounds, Charon, what the hell happened?" she cried. Charon gently set her on the ground and with a worried face, and held out the pieces of her Gauss rifle that she had failed to notice in her greeting.

"This was the only thing that did not make it out of Dunwich..." Charon muttered.

"WHO FUCKING TOOK IT?" Ava screamed.

MacCready was about to step forward to confess, when Charon blurted out, "I did...it was...sitting on the desk in the lobby and I took it. I broke it when I ran out of microfusion cells. I may have used it as a bat...I'm sorry, Ava."

Charon watched his wife shake with anger but within moments, she softened.

"It's...okay. It's just a gun. Everyone is alive. That's what matters," she said with a growing smile. She turned to the children and her tone grew icy when she added, "If you all ever do anything that stupid again, you may not have your father to come save you. Think before you do dumb shit!"

The children nodded and mumbled apologies to their parents, some near tears. Ava, happy that her family was whole once again, motioned towards the waiting army trucks. Charon grinned and followed his wife, watching as she signaled for the vertibirds to lift off. He allowed her to dress his wounds quickly and was happy to see they weren't as bad as he had thought. The ghoul climbed onto the motorcycle, Ava sitting behind him with her arms wrapped around his waist, and patiently waited for all the children to climb into various trucks. The armies were ready for their journey. Ava lifted her arm and motioned forward with a cheer, and the massive armies began to move westward, to challenge their final enemy. It was time.


	3. You Never Had Wings

**I AM JOINING THE SMUT CLUB! I will say, I think I may have gotten carried away here...over 7,000 words for smut, haha. I also smoked at LEAST half a pack of cigarettes writing this. Enjoy, and if you don't like smut, I HIGHLY suggest you skip this one-shot. Let me know if I did all right. Have fun! **

* * *

Charon opened his eyes and immediately grinned, which was most unlike him. He turned his head and saw a disheveled Ava still asleep, snoring softly. Three years since he first saw her face outside of the Ninth Circle. She was less bitter and free of most of the scars on her soul, thinner too. Nineteen years old and already famous within D.C. and the surrounding areas. A vicious killer who seemed to keep her heart of gold until events changed her. He was glad that she had grown out of the stupid hair phase she was in at the time. Instead of two mohawks standing on end, her hair was now a soft cascade of dark brown waves that went past her shoulders. She had filled out since having the children and had curves to die for. Curves that rivaled Nova's, and loved running his hands over her body whenever he had the chance.

Charon leaned over and kissed the woman who was now his wife until she opened her eyes. Ava groaned and pushed him away, muttering something about him needing a shower. The ghoul laughed and sat up, stretching his arms above his head. Today was their final day of rest before moving West once again. Their army had stopped outside of a small settlement about a week ago to gather supplies and had stopped in the middle of a vast expanse. As dangerous as their chosen resting place was, being out in the open, they did have the advantage of being able to see the enemy before they could arrive at the camp. Only one group of raiders tried to mess with them, and Ava had let her flock of tame Deathclaws free to maul them all. He stood up and checked the two cots at the other end of the tent. Phillip and Catherine were still sound asleep and the ghoul knew he was lucky to have fathered two children who slept through the night. He grabbed the dress pants that hung in the corner of the tent and pulled them on. Charon checked to see if any of the buttons on his jacket needed to be replaced and then started to check for any tears. He looked over at Ava before he grabbed an under-shirt and caught her smiling at him.

"Three years...and that still doesn't get old," she murmured.

"What doesn't?" he asked.

"You. Without a shirt," she replied. "Still makes me grin like an idiot."

The ghoul smirked, pulled the shirt over his head, and buttoned up the jacket. He picked the cleanest pair of boots he had and sat on the foot of the bed.

"I'm surprised you remembered today," said Charon as he laced up his boots. "With all the work we've been doing and all."

"Of course I do. Three years since we first laid eyes on each other. I was getting a haircut. You were throwing two dumb asses out of the bar and man, did you ever stare at me. Stared like you've never seen a girl before," said Ava.

"I had never seen one as lovely as you, no. And certainly not one who was so content among the ghouls," he replied.

"Remnants duty? I was hoping to get you all to myself today," Ava asked. Charon nodded and pat her leg over the thick blankets.

"I am sorry that we cannot spend they day together. I was going to give you a gift, of course. To make up for it," he said as he grabbed a pack of cigarettes out of his pack, along with his Officer's cap.

"Make it good," she said with a laugh.

"My presents are always good, bitch. Do not doubt me," he said with a smile of his own.

"We'll see. Mine will be better," said Ava. Charon lit a cigarette and kissed the top of her head before leaving the tent.

Ava gripped the heavy blankets with a panicked look on her face. She hadn't gotten Charon a damn thing. They never gave each other real presents before; their company had always been enough. She was confused by Charon's sudden need to give her something proper and her mind raced thinking of something good enough for a three year anniversary. Ava dressed quickly, grabbing a thin jacket to stave off the coolness of winter in the desert and woke the babies. She fed and dressed them warmly and walked out of the tent with one on each arm. She dropped them off with Carol and Greta, before rushing off into the camp. Nova and Desmond. She had to find them.

* * *

Nova looked up and saw Ava running toward her, her hair loose and waving in the chilly wind. Always breath-taking, even when she tripped over a bucket filled with soapy water. Ava crashed into Nova and shook her wildly. Gob and Desmond laughed at Ava's expense but were silenced by her icy glare.

"Presents!" Ava nearly shouted.

"Happy anniversary?" Nova said, cocking her head.

"Charon is getting me something. Fuck! I don't have anything to give back!" Ava said quickly.

"Yes you do," said Desmond casually. He also wore a Chinese Officer's uniform and smoked a dark brown cigar while taking a sip of whiskey. It didn't matter that it was only eleven in the morning. There was always time for a drink as far as Desmond was concerned.

Ava pushed Nova away and almost knocked Desmond over when she reached him. "What?" She coughed out.

"That ass, little girl. What all men truly want as a present," he said. Gob nodded in agreement and offered Ava a cigarette.

"He gets that all the time. How could that be a present?" Ava asked. Desmond and Gob laughed and shook their heads. As bright as their leader was, Ava was still a kid in their eyes.

"Simple. Do something that will blow him, uh, away," said Gob. He glanced at Nova and felt the skin on his face grow hot as she gave him a slow and knowing smile.

"I'd like to think that I'm pretty good at that already, thanks," Ava snapped.

"What have you two done?" Desmond asked. Ava sighed heavily and sat in the sand by his boots.

Leaning against the older ghoul's legs Ava said, "The real question would be what haven't we done?"

"Went down on him?" Nova asked.

"All the time. Des walked in on us once," said Ava, pulling her aviators over her eyes. Her laughter rang throughout the camp as she remembered that day.

"I did?" he asked, giving her a glance.

"Yep. Didn't stop me from finishing."

"When was this?" he asked. "And why the fuck didn't I get in on the action?"

"Right when Charon and I got back together, before we were attacked at Oasis. I was under his desk. And you didn't get any because I hate you," said Ava with a smart grin.

"Disgusting," said Desmond with a growl.

"Somewhere in public?" Gob asked.

Nova, Desmond and Ava all looked at Gob with smiles.

"Are you kidding me? Do you not know your own best friend? Charon doesn't know the meaning of boundaries. He would bend me over in front of all of you if that's what he felt like doing," said Ava. "Fuckin' exhibitionist perv."

"Ass," said Nova with certainty.

Ava snorted with laughter and said, "More times than I can count. I can never walk normally after he does it. Just makes him want to do other shit to me."

The group was quiet for a moment and Desmond sat up with a wicked grin. Ava tilted her head back and gave him a questioning look.

"Have you ever done any sort of role-play?" He asked. Ava's eyes lit up and she shook her head.

"Nope. I like it though," she said. "Where did that idea come from?"

Nova jumped up and down, clapping her hands wildly and Gob hooted loudly. Of course Desmond, the self-titled pervert of the century, would come up with the greatest idea Ava had ever heard.

"From the way you stare at him every time he wears his Officer uniform. You could be his lovely smoothskin slave and he must punish you in his own manner. You know, with his dick," Desmond explained. He, Nova and Gob exchanged smiles as Ava blushed hotly.

"That is too good," said Nova. "We can help you set this up!"

"I can do my part. I'll keep him late so that he cannot change. I'll go right now. I'm fucking late myself anyway," said Desmond with a pat on Ava's head.

"What should I wear?" Ava asked Nova and Gob.

"Not a damn thing," Gob blurted out, thinking about Ava's legs tangled around Nova's, and her hands pulling him close to her as Charon pulls Nova up to his waiting mouth. That was an exceptionally good memory. Most people would hate to see their best friend touching their wife, but there was absolutely nothing compared to the sounds Nova made when Charon had his hands on her. Charon could make any of them shout out his name, that bastard. It's like he didn't even have to try.

Nova swatted his arm, yanking him out of his memories, and said, "That's no fun! Charon would have nothing to unwrap. I'm sure I can come up with something interesting this slave could wear for her Master."

Nova swept a strand of hair away from Ava's face and Desmond cleared his throat loudly. "Now is not the time to grope her, Nova. We're trying to help the girl!" he growled.

Gob leaned on his shovel and smiled at Ava. "You know someone like Charon is likely to get one hell of a kick out of this. Slave all his life, and now he gets to let out some of his pent up aggression on his own little slave girl."

Ava shuddered, imagining the predatory look in Charon's eyes when he was doing something particularly deviant with her. It was something that crossed her mind occasionally. Charon having complete control and Ava being at his mercy. Truth be told, the thought of it frightened her a bit but she trusted him not to do anything too harmful to her.

"You think he'll hurt me?" Ava asked in a small voice.

"Charon would never," Gob answered.

"Gob, he's almost choked me to death before," said Ava.

"You two weren't friends at that point. You're married. Pretty sure he treats you like gold," said Gob. "Now, ME being Charon's slave would be fucking scary. I'm positive I wouldn't live through it. All he has to do is pin me down and-"

"Ava, to be fair, you ALWAYS attacked him first," said Nova. She wordlessly began to braid Ava's long hair and saw Ava's shoulders shrug.

Ava said her goodbyes to Nova and Gob before making her daily rounds around the camp. She saw Bumble wave at her from a few tents down and she jogged over to greet her children.

* * *

"Happy anniversary to you, Battlemaster," said Desmond as he strolled up to Charon.

The ghouls kept the Remnants away from the others in a low valley about a mile from their camp. It gave the Remnants some peace to not be bothered by anyone else. They preferred to be on their own, for the most part. Charon always insisted that they be brought to the meetings and dinners that were had, his reasoning being that they just as important as anyone else.

"You're late...but thank you," Charon mumbled.

"We have all fucking day, don't get your bloody knickers in a twist over it," said Desmond. "What did you get the wife? She mentioned you got her something."

Charon disappeared into the Officer's tent and returned holding Ava's Gauss rifle with a grin. Charon handed Desmond the rifle and the older ghoul inspected it carefully.

"I don't bloody believe it. You fixed it? Where the fuck did you find the parts for it?" Desmond asked with surprise.

"The town we stopped at. I went to buy supplies and the man at the counter had an older one sitting on a shelf. He said it was a family heirloom, but I managed to purchase it off of him anyway. Took a fair amount of convincing though," Charon explained.

"Did you threaten him?" Desmond asked, peering through the scope.

"I may have trashed the store..." Charon answered with a dark grin.

"You've turned into a right little bastard haven't you? How long did it take you to fix it?" Desmond asked.

"Few days. There were a lot of little pieces I had to weld together. Joseph and MacCready helped a lot. There were times when they were more patient than I," said Charon. "Who would have thought that cracking this rifle against an obelisk would have nearly destroyed it?"

"Like we all agreed, that place was not right," said Desmond.

"True," Charon replied with a nod.

"This is a very thoughtful gift. Perhaps a bit too practical but I know the rifle means a lot to the Smoothskin. Let's start the drills shall we?" said Desmond. Charon nodded and roared out a command. The Remnants stood at attention and saluted.

"Your accent is better than usual," Desmond said with heavy sarcasm.

"I am in a good mood. Do not ruin it," Charon said.

"Understood," said Desmond with a grin.

* * *

Throughout the day, Ava's mind wandered to the evening ahead. Nova had made a bra and underwear set from a bit of chain mail they had found in an old museum weeks ago. Ava thought it was just the sort of thing a smoothskin slave should wear for her Master. Even her Bombshell armor wasn't as revealing as what Nova came up with. Ava watched Nova and some of her Outcasts handing out the afternoon meals to their fellow soldiers as the children played around her. Catherine and Phillip were already starting to become expert crawlers and Ava laughed as Dogmeat herded the two of them back towards her. MacCready was off tending to the Deathclaws and had left Princess in charge of the others.

Charon and Desmond walked towards the camp with all the Remnants following in an orderly fashion. Ava sighed wistfully when she finally found Charon among the crowd. She waved and the ghoul smiled widely. After so much time, they were still genuinely happy to see one another. The children began shouting at each other and Ava groaned, knowing she had to break up whatever spat was occurring. She blew Charon a kiss and her ghoul pretended to catch it. She cocked her head at his unusual bit of romance until he grinned and put his hand over the crotch of his pants.

"For later!" he shouted over the noise.

Ava laughed and picked up Catherine, holding her tightly.

"Dogmeat, can you grab Phillip for me?" Ava asked, pointing towards her son. Dogmeat barked happily and picked up Phillip by the seat of his pants. Phillip cooed loudly as Dogmeat trotted beside Ava, his tail high in the air with pride.

"Guys, guys! What's going on?" Ava asked. The children all stopped and smiled at Ava unanimously. Ava raised an eyebrow and Princess stepped forward and handed Ava a crudely wrapped present.

"What's this?" Ava asked.

"A present! Duh! Pops should be here when you open it. It's for him too," said Princess.

Ava looked down at Dogmeat and said, "Go get Charon. Hurry up!"

Dogmeat turned on his heel and ran through the camp until he found Charon, waiting in line for his lunch. Dogmeat skidded to a stop and began barking loudly.

Charon chuckled and said, "Who fell in the well, boy? If it's Ava, she can pull herself out. I've saved her ass enough times."

Dogmeat whined and pressed his head into Charon's leg. The ghoul reached down to pet him and when his thick fingers reached Dogmeat's collar, the dog rushed back toward Ava.

"Des, get me something to eat! I have to see what the dog wants!" Charon shouted over his shoulder.

Charon followed Dogmeat back to Ava and the kids, shaking his head. The kids jumped with excitement as Dogmeat bounded towards Ava, licking her hands.

"Damn dog is too fucking smart. You needed me?" Charon asked Ava as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Kids got us a present. I wanted you here when I opened it," said Ava.

"Of course," he said. "I always have time for these matters."

"It's not heavy..." Ava said aloud as she shook the gift, trying to guess what it was.

"Open the damn thing before the kids have heart attacks," Charon said.

Ava tore off the paper and unfolded a large quilt. Each square was decorated with a child's unique "work of art" and Ava gulped at their kindness.

"Like it? We all made a square each and Nova sewed it for us. Since it's been so cold, we figured you could use another blanket," Knick Knack explained.

Charon covered his mouth with a gloved hand and squeezed her hip in silence. Damn kids. He never thought in all his years he would care for children so much.

"It's wonderful," Ava whispered, trying her best not to cry. Even Phillip and Kitty had decorated their own squares, although theirs were just smudges of paint, along with hand prints.

"This was very thoughtful. We love it," said Charon with a smile.

Catherine crawled over to her father and pulled herself to her feet by the leg of his pants. "Baaaaaaall?" she gurgled with her small mouth, showing off her four white teeth.

"Daddy isn't a ball, Kitty," said Ava as the other children laughed hysterically.

Charon chuckled and squatted down, his large hands engulfing his daughter's. "Dad-dy," he said, pointing to himself.

"Ball!" Catherine repeated.

"Eh, she will get it right one day," he said and kissed the top of her head. "I must get back to work. Thank you all for the gift."

Charon waved goodbye to the children before planting a rough kiss on Ava's cheek. He handed Catherine to his wife and began to walk away when he heard Kitty shout, "Byeeeee Daddy!"

The ghoul smirked and muttered, "Catches on quick."

* * *

Ava didn't try to cover herself, as both Gob and Desmond stood just inside her tent, gawking without shame. She strolled up to the pair and gave them a wink before she reached out and grazed Desmond's chin with her fingertips.

"Bloody hell, don't do that!" Desmond shouted, swatting her hand away. "You know what shit like that does to me!"

"Yeah, gives you a raging hard-on is what," said Ava.

"Ava, come sit and I'll tie you up," said Nova after she recovered from the agonizing laughter.

Ava turned and walked towards the chair, swaying her hips slowly. She sat down in the chair and allowed Nova to bind her loosely while Gob held his hand over the front of his pants, biting his bottom lip.

"She's got an ass that could swallow up a g-string," muttered Desmond, fanning himself with his cap.

Gob chuckled and answered, "Oh, I know."

"You know, this...arrangement you four have is fucking strange. Why can't I just join in one night? I'd blow you and Charon out of the fucking water," said Desmond.

"Five is a crowd," said Ava. She jumped and Nova laughed softly, removing her hand from Ava's breast.

"Couldn't help myself," said Nova with a smirk. "Gob and I will watch the babies. It's no problem. We like playing house."

Nova gave Ava a gentle kiss and quickly wiped away some of the excess make-up around her eyes. Nova took Gob's hand and squeezed it before she left. She was already looking forward to Ava's story the next day, and thought that maybe...all four of them could play this game together soon.

"Have a good time, Ava...don't let him kill you. The second his hand gets around your throat when he's behind you, that's the moment you know you're fucked," said Gob. "Remember what he did to me last time. Scared all of us a little bit."

Gob strolled out of the tent, leaving Ava alone with Desmond. The older ghoul smiled venomously and reached out to stroke the side of her face. He bent down to peer into her green eyes and slowly adjusted the waves of hair that framed her face.

"Are you frightened?" he asked her in a low voice.

"No," she answered.

"You should be."

Desmond laughed and walked out of the tent with a smirk on his weathered face. The smoothskin had no idea what she was getting herself into.

* * *

Charon muttered angrily to himself as he held the Gauss rifle in one hand, wrapped in a piece of cloth, as he spat his cigarette butt into the sand outside of his tent. The whole day was wasted in his mind. He barely saw Ava after the children gave them their present, and that prick Desmond had left the Remnant camp without doing any of the paperwork for their army. It was nearly midnight, and Charon prayed Ava wouldn't be livid at him for staying out so late doing work. He didn't even wait to change out of his Officer uniform; he was already late enough. Before he reached the tent, he slapped his forehead in annoyance. He didn't even remember to ask Nova or Carol to watch the babies for the evening. At the very least, the Gauss rifle could be enough to calm Ava down.

"Good evening, Master," Ava purred as he opened the tent flap.

It would be an understatement to say that Charon's jaw collided with the dirt beneath his boots. The rifle fell from his hands as his eye gazed at Ava, tied to a chair and not wearing much of anything. It was an incredible sight...one he thought he would never get to see, considering how controlling Ava could be at times. Her face had been made up, with dark colors around her eyes that made them shine, but all he could stare at were the two plump, reddened lips on her face. Whatever he did to deserve this, he was grateful.

"Master?" Charon asked, a bit unsure of what was going on.

"Y-yes, Sir," she replied with a nervous smile. She was afraid...and Charon wanted her to be terrified. His mind was swept clear of the thoughts of work he had done all day and was now replaced with vulgar, unimaginable things.

Charon pulled at the collar of his coat and walked over to Ava, a predatory grin creeping onto his face. Ava wanted to back away, every time he got that look on his face things were destroyed, but all she could do was look down at her bare thighs when the ghoul bent down and rested his hands over her arms.

"A smoothskin slave...for me to do what I please with?" he asked, his eye booring into hers. Ava nodded and Charon added, "Are there any rules that I should know about?"

"No, Sir. Your word is law," said Ava, shivering.

"You may regret saying that...Slave," Charon grunted. Ava was right. Her gift was infinitely better than his. "Where are my children staying tonight?"

"Your wife took them to stay with Gobtholemew and his wife for the evening. She was...understanding," said Ava, suddenly feeling a bit braver playing their game.

"That is good to know," Charon whispered into her ear.

The ghoul freed his smoothskin slave of her binds and instructed her to stand up. His hand reached out to touch the small, metal links that barely covered her breasts and took her aside so he could sit in the chair. Without a word, he pulled Ava over his knees and she fell with a yelp of surprise.

"I was told you did not behave today, Slave. I heard...that you were being a bit flirtatious with some of the other slaves in the pens. Is that true?" Charon asked.

"N-no!" Ava shouted.

"I do not believe you...not for one moment," Charon snarled.

Charon pushed Ava's thighs apart and his hand landed on her bare ass with a resounding smack. Ava cried out and Charon grinned, knowing she could not see it. He was going to take advantage of this gift, and turn the beautiful, strong woman whom he had laying across his knees into a whimpering, crying mess. By the time he was done, neither of them would have the strength to stand. He would makes sure of it.

"Tell me the truth!" Charon said.

"I only have eyes for you, Master!" Ava wailed. Charon slapped her harder this time, and her hands gripped onto the chair legs. She had to force herself to breathe.

"You are a fucking liar...and you will pay for your behavior. If you are going to act like a damn whore, I am going to treat you like one," the ghoul whispered harshly. "Get up!"

Ava stood up on her shaky legs and gasped as Charon reached out and tore the chain garments she wore right off of her body. Ava now knew what it felt like to be at Charon's mercy. It was frightening to be on the receiving end of his rage and she covered her breasts with her arms, taking a step back. All she wanted to do was run.

"Get on the fucking bed," Charon hissed, shoving her towards the bed they shared. "You will do as you are told. I do not give a shit if it embarrasses you or scares you. Am I clear?'

Ava nodded and Charon gave her another rough shove. The backs of her knees hit the fabric and she fell backwards. She took the opportunity to scoot as far back as she could, away from the ghoul with the furious blue eye, and hugged herself. Charon snarled and snatched her ankle, pulling her towards the edge of the bed.

Charon's eye fell to the spot between Ava's legs and he licked his lips hungrily as a rogue grin emerged on his face.

"Is it all right if I give you a taste?" he asked, forgetting his position of power momentarily.

Ava smiled, a bit amused that he had returned to his old self for a second and said, "You're the Master, remember?"

"T-that's right," he stuttered.

"Nervous? This isn't even close to our first time, you know," said Ava. Her voice was soft and sultry, and just hearing her speak made Charon want to rip her to pieces.

"Not at all...I am just trying my best to hold back," he whispered.

"From what?" Ava asked.

"From ripping you apart," he growled. Ava squealed loudly and Charon silenced her with a deep snarl.

"I'm sorry, Master," Ava said.

"Sit up," he snapped. When Ava did as she was told, Charon cocked his head and stroked the side of her face. "I have changed my mind, Slave...I want you on your knees."

Charon grabbed Ava's arm, yanked her off the bed, and pushed her down to her knees before she could utter a sound. She glanced up at him with her big, doe eyes and he couldn't help but smile at the sight. Ava had always been too proud, too stubborn, to get on her knees for him. And here she was, eager for more orders. The ghoul undid his belt and he chuckled when Ava gulped.

"W-what's so funny?" Ava asked.

Charon held himself in one hand, and gave himself a few slow strokes, as he tilted Ava's chin upward with the tips of his fingers. He laughed again and said, "I'm going to fuck your pretty little face..."

Ava's mouth opened immediately, partly because her ghoul just ordered her to, but mostly because in all their time together, Charon had never once used vulgar terms while they were in bed. He was usually quiet and stoic as he had always been, only allowing himself a grunt or a groan in pleasure.

Charon took a fistful of Ava's hair and rammed himself damn near down her throat. She gagged a bit at his length and girth and he smiled wider than she had ever seen.

"Come on Smoothskin...you can do better than that," he said.

Charon thrust again and Ava gripped onto his pants with tears streaming down her face. She relaxed and took most of his length into her mouth without a problem. The ghoul hissed as he pulled himself out of her mouth and felt his Smoothskin drag her tongue along the underside of him. He placed both of his hands behind her head and began to thrust slowly. This was everything he could have wanted. Ava...at his mercy.

"Use your hands too; I want them both touching me at all times, unless I say otherwise. Am I clear on that?" he commanded.

Ava nodded and when he pulled out, he heard her say, "Yes Sir, crystal."

Ava wrapped one hand around him and lightly dragged her nails down his thigh with the other. Charon jumped at the new sensation and Ava smiled inwardly. He slowly began to thrust, and as he watched her, he became completely fascinated that she could take almost all of him inside her mouth. When he felt the tip of himself hit the back of her throat and she did not gag, the ghoul beamed with pride.

"That's rather good...for a slave girl...keep going," he muttered. His fingers pulled on her hair and he shuddered when Ava moaned.

After a few minutes, Charon reluctantly pulled himself out of her mouth and stepped back. His smoothskin smiled as she wiped the corner of her mouth and she said, "Something else, Sir?"

"Yes," he replied. "I want you to lie on your back, and spread yourself open for me. I want to see everything."

Ava gawked at his demand and he calmly reached for his sidearm, cocked it and pointed it at her. "What the fuck did I say earlier? Get on the fucking bed and do as I say before I have to kill you!"

Eager to push her lover closer to the edge, Ava stared Charon dead in the eye and said, "No."

In a flash, Charon grabbed Ava by her throat and pressed the gun against her cheek, stifling her scream. Her ghoul sounded out of breath as he gave her neck a gentle squeeze and she quivered at his touch. Charon rested the pistol against her plump lips, and growled deeply.

"Do not test me, slave. I will not hesitate to ram this pistol into your mouth like I did with myself. Get on the fucking bed and spread yourself open for me," said Charon.

This time, Ava complied and Charon watched her crawl onto the bed and lay down on her back with her legs crossed at the ankle. It had been a long time since Ava had been shy about her body, but something about Charon's demand made her feel unusually vulnerable. Charon leaned forward and roughly pushed her knees apart before grabbing the chair Ava was tied to and placing it by the bed. He took off his Officer's coat and placed it on the back of the chair, tossed his cap and pistol on a table, and finally sat down as he loosened his tie and undid the first few buttons of his shirt.

"What are you waiting for?" Charon said. "I want a show."

Ava's hands drifted towards her folds which were dripping with her wetness. Her fingers brushed against her sensitive nub and she felt a burning, searing pleasure course through her body. One of her long legs twitched and Charon laughed softly.

"I didn't say you could do that yet, but you will in a moment. I want to see you first," he said.

He watched his Smoothskin spread herself open with a whimper and he held himself tightly in his fist. The ghoul smiled and began stroking himself, slowly at first and then a little faster.

"Can I touch myself, Master?" Ava asked. She picked her head up and saw him nod, so she slipped one slender finger inside herself and then brushed her fingertips over her now hardened nub.

"Taste yourself. Tell me if I'll enjoy it, and maybe when you're about to come, I'll finish you off with my mouth," he whispered.

Ava's fingers were drenched with wetness and she pushed two of her fingers past her lips, running her tongue across them and relishing the tangy sweetness of it. Charon grunted loudly and leaned forward to see more of her, resting one elbow on the bed as he touched himself with the other. Ava's hand returned between her legs and she worked herself further, pulling a moan out of herself that made Charon gulp loudly.

"M-Master, I taste so good. You'd love it, and I'd be grateful for any help you'd give me. I want to come for you...only for you," Ava gasped.

"So bold for a slave," said Charon. He leaned on his arm and slid one, thick finger inside of Ava as she rubbed herself furiously and her moans were surely heard beyond their tent. "But I like it."

Ava felt Charon's strong hands push her thighs further apart and he gave her a long, slow lick between her wet folds.

"Oh f-fuck," Ava whispered, gripping onto the bed sheets and twisting them in her fists.

Charon stopped and looked up at his smoothskin with a devilish grin and said, "You are not allowed to say a god damn word. No noise. Nothing. Not until I say so. If you do, I will stop and you will service me until I come. You will not be allowed to."

Ava almost whimpered and clamped her hand over her mouth instead as Charon slipped his tongue inside of her. One of his massive hands reached up and grabbed her breast, pinching her nipple until she wanted to scream. She felt him chuckle against her body and his tongue flicked up to her nub and he sucked it into his mouth as carefully as he could. She was right; there was no better taste than her and even he groaned as he quickened his pace. He wanted her to come, just so he could finally be inside of her. The ghoul added a second finger, and then a third while Ava squirmed at the sudden full feeling.

Knots formed in Ava's stomach as her body inched closer to the brink of pleasure. She was afraid Charon would be cruel and stop right before she could finish, and she silently prayed that he would be kind enough to give her that. He licked a bit faster now, and Ava was trying her hardest not to make a sound. Even Nova couldn't hold a candle to what Charon could do with his mouth, but together was something else entirely. Thoughts of the night both of them pleasured her with their mouths, together, crept into her mind and grew. Charon inside of her, slowly thrusting, and Nova dragging her tongue across Ava's most sensitive spot. At one point, Charon had pulled out and Ava remembered both of their mouths fighting over her. One thick finger and one slender one slipping inside of her together made her scream that night. Two tongues licking her most sensitive of spots had her speechless. With that thought firm in her mind, Ava sat up on her elbows with a gasp, with an explosion of pleasure erupted beneath her navel and flooding outwards. Charon kept her thighs apart and continued licking her until Ava was trying to scramble away. It was almost too much for her.

Charon stood up and his lips crushed into Ava's. She tore at his shirt, ripping the buttons and sending them to floor as the ghoul climbed over her, his mouth inching down her throat and over her hardened nipples. He took one into his mouth and grazed it with his teeth, and Ava hissed with pain and satisfaction all at once. Her ghoul only paused to pull his slacks off and he pressed the tip of himself against Ava's wetness and a growl of pleasure rumbled deeply from the pit of his chest.

"What would you do to have me inside of you right now?" Charon asked.

"I...I'd do anything Master," Ava pleaded.

"Anything?"

"I would kill for it," Ava said firmly.

The ghoul narrowed his eye and asked, "Who would you kill, Slave?"

"Whoever you asked me to kill, without question," she panted.

"That's my girl," he growled, pushing himself inside of Ava's tight body with one powerful thrust.

Ava whimpered and wrapped her arms around his neck, raking her nails down his back.

"If you're going to do that, my scratches better be bleeding by the time I'm done with you," he said, forcing her to look at him. "If not, I will never give you the pleasure of my company ever again."

Ava did as she was told, and Charon winced as her nails dug into his side, tearing flesh. He did not want this to be something slow and sensual. He promised himself neither of them would walk when they were down and he would keep his word. Charon pounded into Ava as hard as he could, holding all his feelings back and allowing himself to thrust harder. He wanted to see more tears, and to do that, he needed to do something else on his mental wish list.

Charon pulled out, and grab Ava's wrists, positioning her until her face was pressed into the bed. He spread her cheeks apart and when he entered her again, he chose not to ask permission for this particular act like he usually would. Ava's startled scream was muffled by the feather pillows by her face. Charon slowly pulled out and thrust a bit harder this time. Ava couldn't even hold herself up anymore; Charon hands gripped around her waist, holding all her weight, and his growls were louder as the extreme tightness of her ass appeared and disappeared with every thrust. He would not last doing this. He didn't want to. Ava's hands pulled at the sheets and he felt as if she were trying to escape. He held tighter and continued relentlessly, pulling a few screams from his trembling prey. That familiar seep of feeling appeared in his groin and Charon reached down, pinning Ava to the bed by her throat. His legs shook as he spilled into her and a loud groan escaped his lips. He did not stop until she was filled with every last drop and the great beast caught himself before he collapsed over his wife.

Ava lifted her head from the pillows, still in shock, as Charon lay down beside her. He pulled her into his arms and pressed his face into her neck, kissing it.

"Did I frighten you?" Charon asked quietly. He noticed that the make-up around her eyes was smeared with her tears and all over the pillows as well. He was more than pleased with himself.

"Yes," Ava whimpered.

"Can you move?"

"No," she replied. Ava pressed her face against his and his hands traveled to her face, cupping it as he smiled widely.

"Good," he whispered. "Want to know what I got you for a present?"

"If you say 'another round' I think I may pass out," Ava said nervously.

"Neither of us have the energy for another round, Smoothskin. I did fix your Gauss rifle. It is in working condition once again," said Charon.

Ava smiled wider than he had seen that night, and said, "You are the best, you know?"

"I'd like to think so," answered Charon with a soft chuckle.

The ghoul murmured that he loved her into her ear, and he saw his smoothskin smile again. It did not take long for them to fall asleep, holding onto each other until dawn.


End file.
